Tour De France (1 Viewer)

[Northy]

Watching this years Tour de France has inspired me to organize a visit to next years event. Has anybody any experience or advice on taking in this event, best places to view how long before the event passes should I get a pitch. I like the idea of pitching up at the side of the road whilst the event passes.
When is the race route released I understand that next year its starts in Belgium but has the rest of the route been released yet?

Any advise would be helpful

 

[mattb]

Hi Northy,

Going to the Alps to watch the Tour on Friday, it will be our fourth year running. The event and atmosphere are fantastic and I would say its well worth a visit. The route will get announced normally around January (I think), with the details of exact roads etc being confirmed a couple of weeks before the start of the race.

We've taken our caravan in previous years and travelled to the stages from a campsite. This will be the first year with a motorhome. If you plan to get a roadside pitch on a major mountain pass it might be advisable to get your spot a couple of days in advance of the race coming. The really popular montain passes ie Alpe D'Huez. Col du Galibier, Mont Ventoux fill up well in advance of the race coming through.

You could always pitch at the bottom of the pass and ride your bike up

 

[Jim]

Hi, I would love to have a rally on one of the hills. I don't think they announce the tour route till much later this year.

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[Cavendish]

Matt I thought they announced this years route back in October.

 

[twooks]

keep an eye on this site -
Tour de France 2009 - Grand start 2010

if you're going up there don't forget they close off the roads well before the entourage gets anywhere near

sounds brilliant tho - would love to go, have watched other races and unless it's a really steep climb very much a case of blink and you miss 'em

 

[savantuk]

I've done it once, and it's excellent for a bit of free camping. Try to get in position 24/48 hrs in advance - not an imposition at all, as there will be a festival atmosphere even a couple of days in advance. I started parking with other units, just to be on the safe side, but then I found my own spaces, and others joined me. Don't expect to get a space near the start/finish of a stage, and you'll sometimes have to forget any pretext of levelling the van.

It gets vey very noisy, lot's of impromptu parties, generators roaring away in the background, and the ever present smell of barbeques - Excellent stuff

Get to the sponsors caravans and cars as soon as they arrive for some excellent and collectible freebies. When the peleton comes through, wait to catch the water bottles as the riders discard them. Some are signed and make good money from collectors.

Have a great time.

You'll have a great time!!

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[wavester]

They announce start and finish towns in october and then the exact details of the route a month or two before the start. Definitely the place to watch is the mountains and as others have stated you need to get there a couple of days before. Loads of free camping. Its reckoned that there were 250,000 folk on le tourmalet in the pyrenees at the weekend and it wasn't even a mountain top finish.
The roads close to traffic on the day but you can ride on the route up to a few hours before which is exctly what i did on le tourmalet last year along with a few thousand others. Fantastic atmosphere, in no other sport can you get so close to the action just a shame they pass through so quick.

Off to Annecy and Le Ventoux next week can hardly wait